Decision
1. That, following public consultation on the future
use of the former St Mary’s School site, the consultation report be noted and
that the Council’s preferred option for the use of the site proceed;
2. That the Business Plan to use the site as an
independent special school for children and young people of Dorset and the
longer-term vision, be approved;
3. That the formation of a company limited by shares
and the entry into such ancillary legal documentation, as may be necessary in
line with the proposed scope contained in the Business Plan, be approved;
4.
That the granting
of indemnities for personal liability incurred by council officers acting in the role of directors of the company, be
approved;
5. That Cabinet agrees to the granting of a lease of
the site to the company on terms to be approved by the Executive Director for
Place in consultation with the Executive Director for People – Children’s; and that
service agreements between the Council and the company to deliver the Business
Plan on terms to be approved by the Executive Director for People - Children's.
6. That authority be delegated the Portfolio Holder
for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help in consultation with the
Executive Director for People – Children’s to deliver the Dorset Council
actions within the Business Plan.
Reason for the decision 1:
The consultation on the future use of the former St
Mary’s School site received 1,427 responses from a wide variety of individuals
and organisations. Nearly 90% of responses came from Dorset Council residents,
including 32% of responses which came from local residents (within 3 miles of
the site).
There
was overwhelming support for the St Marys site to continue to be used for
educational purposes, with 92% overall in favour. In addition, there was very
strong support for specifically using St Marys as a school for children and
young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with 89%
overall in favour alongside 82% of respondents that signalled strong support
for the additional use of the St Mary’s site to create complementary facilities
for vulnerable children, young people and adults.
This
demonstrated strong support to deliver the Council’s preferred option to create
a new independent school for children and young people of Dorset with SEND.
Reason
for the decision 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
In order to deliver the Council’s preferred option,
a detailed 5-year Business Plan has been completed setting out the next steps
the Council will need to take to establish a Company to operate the new
independent special school alongside the longer-term vision for the site and
arrangements for the land to be used by the Company. The Business Plan sets out
that a Company that will be set up for the purposes of operating the site and
school, and this will be through the formation of Company Limited by Shares
(which may be established as a standard or Community Interest Company).
Approval of this decision allows the named Members and Officers with delegated
authority to deliver the Business Plan to achieve the challenging timescales
for delivery. Further leadership and governance would be provided by the St
Mary’s Project Board Chaired by the Chief Executive and Vice Chaired by the
Executive Director of Corporate Development.